(A) Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a wheelchair, a wheelchair apparatus and a wheelchair care service network system, and more specifically, to a wheelchair, a wheelchair apparatus and a wheelchair care service network system having automatic brake and user posture detection functions.
(B) Description of the Related Art
Wheelchairs are indispensable items for disabled people, and most wheelchairs feature only basic functions and are propelled manually. Manual wheelchairs can be propelled carelessly or accidentally, and therefore are not stable and safe apparatuses. Many disabled people cannot operate or control their wheelchairs with sufficient caution, and as a result accidents frequently occur.
In clinical use, accidents occur most frequently when the user stands up or sits down. The wheelchair may suddenly slip, causing the user to trip. In addition, other accidents frequently occur when the user stands behind the wheelchair and pushes the wheelchair to move forward. The user may walk unsteadily and fall if the wheelchair slips abruptly. In addition to user falls, other problems can occur, including bedsores due to local compression or body deformation due to incorrect posture, both of which are common symptoms suffered by those who sit in their wheelchairs for a long time.
In current clinical settings, prevention of such mishaps and ailments caused by wheelchairs is maintained as part of the overall health care management system. However, with the aging of the population and increasing health care costs, more care providers must take care of many patients. As a result, less attention is given to each patient. Therefore, there is a need to reduce the tasks of the health care worker by use of technology to perform tasks such as monitoring of body postures and physiology states or the predictions of high risk conditions. Such tasks can be handled by a well prepared detection system. The system can warn the wheelchair users and care providers.